Carlos Ponce: I Make Four Different Breakfasts!

Reaching a wider audience with his role on Lipstick Jungle, Carlos Ponce says there’s no doubt that the entertainment industry is "a very hard career to go through alone [and] you need to have someone who puts your feet on the ground." For Carlos, that special someone is his wife, professional photographer Veronica Ponce, with whom he has four children — sons Giancarlo, 9, and Sebastian Joel, 7, and twins Sienna Natasha and Savannah Ala, 6.

The family lives in Florida, where Carlos — who studied Russian to be able to speak to the twins in their native language — changes from a professional actor to a hands-on dad preparing (several!) meals and shuffling the kids off to school every day. "I take my kids to school…I make them breakfast. Unfortunately, dad is a big spoiler and most days I make four different breakfasts." Calling him a great father to their kids, Veronica, goes on to say that the couple are completely committed to making their family work.

"Carlos is an exemplary father who enjoys and dedicates himself to his kids. You need to work as a team. We have the same priorities for our future and our family."

wow! i thought i was the only one who did this. I have 3 kids though not 4 and my oldest Madisyn is 6 , Ryan is 4, and Sierra is 2 and all of them want something else for breakfast. So every morning I have to make eggs, a bagel, and pancakes to satisfy the 3 of them. Then I have to cook for me and my husband plus the baby inside of me.

lilith
on September 21st, 2008

Well, having first hand experience with my mom who was doing the same thing cooking three different meals for five people, I can honestly say that I would never ever do that! What for? It’s spoiling the kids (I’m the only one from my family who eats almost everything), it takes so much time and costs a lot more money, it has no advantage at all, so why are people still doing it? Please don’t tell me ‘my kids won’t eat anything else’, they won’t starve either, believe me before this happens they will eat what’s available.

lizzielui
on September 21st, 2008

Lilith, I still do it because I remember what it was like battling with my own mother over foods I did not like and how exhausting that whole process was. You say kids won’t starve, well I almost did just that one several occassions. For example, I hate liver and lima beans. I cannot even stand the smell of liver for risk of vomitting. One day Dear mom decided we were having liver, lima beans, and rice for Sunday dinner and I was told that if I didn’t clean my plate I wouldn’t get any other food in the house until I did. This was on a Sunday night and trust me I didn’t eat ANYTHING until very late Monday evening except two crackers and a small piece of bread that my brother Leslie snuck brought me. I do not like liver and there was no way you were going to force me to eat it. Period. My father was the one who put his foot down and finally said, “Do we really want this child to starve and go to bed hungry simply because she does not like liver and you want to force her to eat it?” (Meanwhile, my mother hates meatloaf, while we all loved it but we never had it because she hates it. How fare is that?)

I was not trying to challenge my mother’s authority as much as trying to get across the fact that I HATE LIVER and it makes me sick!! (So did my siblings but I was the only one to take a stand. Eventually my mother stopped fixing it altogether and all was well… that is until she tried to get me to eat soggy cereal🙂

I think as a parent while it is my job to exercise discpline and provide insight to my children about what is in their bests interests, it is also tmy responsibility to listen to their likes and dislikes. I have no problem making separate meals for my kids on when the situation calls for it. My oldest hates eggs, while the other two would eat them everyday if I let them. So I compromise and make something for all three (maybe a waffle or cereal for one, and eggs for the other) The easiest thing to do is make something that ensures each child will be fed and properly nourished before they leave the table vs. getting into a huge battle and having my child leave the table on an empty stomach. Now of course a situation where a child wants to eat nothing but cookies all day is entirely different and not tolerated. But I have no problems with my kids not liking liver, turnips, peas, etc. It’s not like there aren’t other options out there that aren’t as equally nutritious.

Cait
on September 21st, 2008

My younger brother ate oatmeal almost every night for a good three or four years. If he didn’t like what the rest of us were having, he’d get oatmeal. The food war is not one that you’ll ever win and to say “Oh, they’ll eventually get hungry and eat what’s in front of them” doesn’t apply to every child. Before the oatmeal deal, my mom tried that with my brother and he went three, almost four, days without eating. Nobody can tell me that after three days my three-year-old brother (which is how old he was at the time this happened) wasn’t hungry! Eventually, he began to eat more and more and now, at 20, while he’s still a moderately picky eater, we can get him to eat ribs and steak sometimes.

I don’t believe it’s spoiling them at all. I’m sure there are some kids who do it to try and test the limits, but my brother purely did not like some of the foods the rest of us liked and he wasn’t going to eat, he proved that! I’m glad my mom gave in and made a deal with him, even if most nights she was technically cooking two different meals, rather than let him starve. When the time comes for my own children, if any of them are picky eaters, I’ll probably make the same deal, offer them something they like instead of what we’re having. I doubt it will be oatmeal, lol, after watching my brother eat that stuff for so many years I can barely stand it myself!

Making some exceptions (like liver) is not a problem I think but this doesn’t sound like that. I do believe it is wrong to make anything they want, children need to learn that you can’t always get what you want.

Morgan
on September 22nd, 2008

Sarita, we’re in complete agreement. I’m definitely one of those people that think it’s important to make sure children understand boundaries and there’s a difference between “starving” a child by saying if they don’t eat what’s in front of them that they won’t eat and not giving them food at all. Honestly, Cait, it doesn’t sound like your brother was hungry, otherwise he’d have eaten. Doesn’t matter what it is. My cousin was adopted and came to our family from a TRULY neglected environment. She went days without food of any kind regularly before she was removed from her birth family’s home. She, like other malnourished children in the world, understands what it means to be truly hungry, but she also understands appreciation. Catering to your child (literally) may be how you go about things, but I’m not about to raise my daughter with the mindset that she can dictate what she will and will not eat; especially when she could be truly without choice.

Sanja
on September 22nd, 2008

Morgan -hear, hear!

curly_k
on September 22nd, 2008

I have made the decision in my household that my 2 year old son gets what is prepared for his meals. If he doesn’t eat it, that’s fine. I certainly do not whip him up another meal that is more to his liking. I am not a short-order cook.

That being said, the only time I will make him something different from what is being served is when he is ill and needs foods that are gentle on his tummy.

Mia
on September 22nd, 2008

It’s definitely an issue with parents, and creates greater conflict when the parents can’t agree on the approach.

My mom was very strict on the idea that “take it,or leave it” concept.

however-my parents didn’t agree
and My Dad-would make us something different if we didn’t like what was prepared.

That was an issue for a while when my brother/I were little,but it worked out fine. My mom just made sure to concentrate on making meals we could all enjoy.

terri
on September 22nd, 2008

So his youngest daughters were adopted from Russia?

brooke
on October 7th, 2008

Yes terri, his youngest twin girls were adopted from russia. The two boys are his bio kids, and his wife and him have been together since high school, which is remarkable for celebrities now. He seems like a good dad and husband